1. Field of the Invention
The present invention discloses a novel mountain bike support stand made of a centrally-positioned, elongate body and at least four support legs attached to the bottom end of the elongate body. The support stand provides independent, off ground support for a mountain bike and is most useful for cleaning and storage of a mountain bike.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mountain biking is a new and exciting sport. The bike is as popular in the flatlands as it is in the mountains. The mountain bike is also known as an all terrain bike and off road bike.
The most distinctive feature of a mountain bike is its frame. Geometry, size, tubing type, welding method, welding skill, design integrity, fit, flex or rigidity, weight, cable routing, warranty, manufacturer's reputation and serviceability are all key variables of the mountain bike frame. Geometry, size and tubing type are the most important of the variables.
Geometry of the frame comprises the dimensions, angles, lengths and clearances of such things as the steering tube, seat tube and vertical and horizontal tubes. In other words, geometry of the frame is what gives a bike its feel when you ride it.
Size of the frame is affected by several factors. Most obvious is the overall size of the body and the relative proportions of the rider. Furthermore, mountain bikes are designed to fit differently than road bikes. Mountain bikes should have from four to six inches of clearance between the crotch of the rider and the top tube when the rider stands flat-footed on the ground. In contrast, a road bike should have about two inches of clearance under the same circumstances.
There are five major types of tubing for the frame, namely, steel, aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber and plastic. Each type of tubing has its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of tubing type will depend on the particular needs of the rider.
Due to the nature of mountain biking, kickstands are not a basic feature. As a result, most, if not all, mountain bikes are made and sold without a kick stand or other type of independent support. After off road use, a mountain bike should be cleaned of all mud and dirt accumulated on the bike, especially from the frame and wheels.
In the absence of a kick stand, there is no simple way to support the mountain bike during the cleaning process. The bike may be placed against a vertical support such as a wall, placed in a work stand, placed on a bicycle rack, etc. However, there are major disadvantages for each of these methods. There is little stability for a mountain bike when it is placed against a wall. Work stands and bicycle racks are expensive and not always amenable to water exposure.
There are numerous reports for improved bicycle stands and racks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,228 (Botkin) shows a self supporting rack for athletic and sports equipment. The rack has a vertical center post with a base support at a bottom end of the pole. An upper end of the center post is unsupported. Equipment support assemblies are mounted upon the center post and are upon which athletic and sporting equipment, such as bicycles, are stored. The length of the support assemblies may be varied in order to stagger the stored items. The connection of the support assembly to the center post allows the support to be positioned anywhere along the length of the pole. The connection allows the assemblies to be extended from any exterior surface of the center post. The arms of the support assembly are also maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation by the connection when in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,120 (Vega) reveals a bicycle rack constructed of steel. The rack includes a base formed by a pair of parallel rails laterally spaced from each other and joined by a laterally extending connecting link. A pair of elongated stanchions extend upwardly from the rails to converge together at an apex which is at a height greater than the length of a bicycle. The upper extremities of the stanchions are joined together by gusset plates and either one or two hooks extend transversely outwardly from the gusset plates vertically above the base. A bicycle is suspended from one or both of the hooks by one of its wheels, so that the wheels of the bicycle are disposed one above another with the weight of the bicycle acting downwardly vertically above the base.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,979,759 (Solovay) discloses a free-standing bike stand that is separate from the bike. The stand includes a horizontal base or bottom portion, an about vertical middle portion, preferably connected to the front end of the bottom portion and an upper bike supporting portion connected to the middle portion. The upper portion includes a pair of laterally spaced rearwardly extending L-shaped arms connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar. The lower rungs of the arms support the bicycle or motorbike, for example, the tubular bottom portion of a motorbike frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,180 (Copple) shows a portable bicycle stand for supporting a bicycle. The stand is designed to permit its removal from the bicycle when not in use. The bicycle stand includes an elongated support leg having at a first end a cooperating finger and thumb adapted to detachably mount the support leg to the bicycle frame in a first support position wherein a second opposite end of the support leg engages the ground to support the bicycle in a generally upright orientation. Intermediate its first and second ends, the support leg further has a pair of aligned arms which, in cooperation with the support leg itself, are adapted to detachably mount the support leg on the bicycle frame in a second storage position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,164 (Mitchell) reveals a stand for motorcycles known as dirt bikes. The stand may be positioned between the wheels of the dirt bike and made operable by the foot of the user for engaging its frame to raise and lower the front wheel of the dirt bike off its supporting surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,459 (Zach) discloses a stand for bicycles or other two wheel vehicles. The stand includes a base unit with two staggered wheel supporting cradles and a plurality of add-on units. Vertical uprights for each cradle define spaces or slots for the front wheels of two bicycles extending in opposed directions. Each base unit supports four bicycles and each add-on unit, two bicycles. When the base and add-on units are connected the uprights which define the wheel receiving slots are located along two parallel spaced axes.
However, none of these patents discloses a support stand for a mountain bike, wherein the bottom bracket axle and the bottom bracket shell of the bike directly engage the support stand.
There are also several design patents for improved bicycle stands and racks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. D358,048 (Schoenig et al.) shows an elongated stand with a three-part base and a central column on which are two sets of extensions. The frame or the wheel of a bike can be connected to the set of extensions. U.S. Pat. No. D343,148 (Cottman, Jr.) reveals a free-standing bike rack. The front frame of a bicycle is attached to the front end of the rack and the back wheel of the bicycle is connected to the back of the rack. U.S. Pat. No. D276,988 (Shedden) discloses a motorcycle stand. The stand has a tubular base, a central column and a flat plate atop the central column.
Again, none of these design patents discloses a support stand for a mountain bike, wherein the bottom bracket axle and the bottom bracket shell of the bike directly engage the support stand.